The desert leads the way

Our journey through Jordan began on a desert road. The cab driver was a stereotypically big, burly Arab man, dripping in gold chains and rings. With hardly a word, he turned up the music and revved the engine. Off we went, weaving expertly through heavy traffic. Every time he passed or got close to another car, he’d lay on his horn — not out of anger, it seemed, but just to announce our presence. The other drivers responded in a loud chorus of honking and shouting.

From the backseat, I spied him casually flipping through pictures of women on Facebook and Tinder from his phone. For a moment, I pictured our journey ending in a massive fireball on this desert road — but I soon found myself impressed by his skills in multitasking.

And why worry? We were riding on a lawless road to freedom. With every mile, lane dividers slowly disappeared under waves of sand — or were blatantly ignored. Pedestrians who seemed to suddenly appear like ghosts from the sand dunes calmly walked out in front of traffic with either a great sense of confidence or a total disregard for their own mortality. I watched a group of school boys fight and wrestle about on the sidewalk, far too close to the busy road for my comfort, but no one else seemed the least bit concerned.

“Is it hard to drive in Amman?”, Patrick asked. In a few hours, he’d have to battle this chaos in a dodgy rental car.

“No hard.”

“Ah. Easy?”

“Ha! Eaaassy!” Our driver said with glee. Having learnt a new word in English, he repeated it throughout the rest of the journey.

As we entered the outer ring of the city, the stark white and empty desert began to transform. Sandy-coloured (or covered) buildings suddenly shot up from every angle and joined together, stretching as far as the eye could see to the horizon. Every inch of the road ahead was lined with shops, flats, and most of all, people. So many people. I felt somewhat claustrophobic and yet, completely captivated by the sudden burst of life that had disrupted the desert scene — and I hadn’t even left the car yet.

It was ages before we spotted the Beirut Hotel hidden above a busy marketplace. After shouting for directions from a few locals, our driver dropped us off in the middle of the street. “Take it eaassy”, I wanted to say while waving goodbye.

Taste the rainbow

Our hotel seemed to be in the heart of the city. After dropping off our bags, we set off to explore. Stepping onto the sidewalk from the hotel doorstep was nothing short of an adrenaline rush. Hot, dry air filled my lungs and I could almost feel the vibrations of the city move through me. It was like stepping into a beehive. I felt swallowed by an endless, deafening hum and attacked by the swarms of people buzzing about in nonstop conversation and activity.  This was an overwhelming feeling I had never felt in a city before — not even New York or London — and it was intoxicating. 

Then suddenly, I felt awash in colour.  Tan buildings and fig trees turned gold and emerald under a deep blue sky.  Markets of enticing spices contrasted with pastel decor, hanging umbrellas and rainbow-painted alleyways. Amman is a work of art.

As we made our way through the crowds, I felt that all eyes were on us. I wanted to tell myself it was just my anxiety playing tricks on me, but it was true, all eyes were on us. I had dressed very conservatively, hiding bare flesh behind a scarf, long sleeves and trousers, but I suddenly felt shamefully exposed. Although Jordan is a modern country with a western sense of fashion freedom, as far as I could tell, the vast majority of women were wearing the Hijab. I quickly put my hair up into a bun, but it was no use, I stood out like a sore thumb.

The unwavering intensity of those stares has stayed with me. Even now, I can feel it. It took some time to get used to it throughout our time in Jordan, but eventually I realised that they weren’t staring out of maliciousness, but out of simple curiosity.  And that point leads to the most enduring memory of Amman — the kindness of the people.

No matter where we went, we were met with happy smiles and a genuine interest in who we were and why we were in Jordan.  When we reached our first stop, Jafra Cafe for lunch, our server greeted us and we dove into conversation. From that point on, I relaxed and felt welcome in the city.

We spent a couple hours in Jafra Cafe, taking in the calming shisha-filled air and a delicious meal of Hummus Fatteh and clay pot chicken — a must-try if you’re in the area. Honestly, it was one of the best meals I think I’ve had while travelling.

On exploring Amman

After a delicious lunch, we were ready to dive into the history of Amman. Stay tuned for my next post about our visit to the famous Roman Theatre and Amman Citadel.

Amman is a whirlwind of a city and a true adventure for the senses. My only regret is that I only had one day to explore it. I can’t wait to return one day soon.